Kent. Fellow, I know thee. Stew. What dost thou know me for? Kent. A knave; a rascal, an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, threesuited, hundred-pound, filthy worsted-stocking Reg. If it be true, all vengeance comes too short, Which can pursue the offender. How dost, my lord? knave; a lily-liver'd, action-taking knave; a whoreGlo. O, madam, my old heart is crack'd, is crack'd! Kent and Steward, severally. SCENE II.-Before Gloster's castle. Enter son, glass-gazing, superserviceable, finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting slave; one that wouldest be a bawd, in way of good service, and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pander, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch: one whom I will beat into clamorous whining, if thou deny'st the least syllable of thy addition." Stew. Why, what a monstrous fellow art thou, thus to rail on one, that is neither known of thee, nor knows thee! Kent. What a brazen-faced varlet art thou, to deny thou know'st me! Is it two days ago, since I tripped up thy heels, and beat thee before the king? Draw, you rogue: for, though it be night, the moon shines; I'll make a sop o'the moonshine of you: Draw, you whoreson cullionly barbermonger, draw. [Drawing his sword. Stew. Away; I have nothing to do with thee. Kent. Draw, you rascal: you come with letters against the king; and take Vanity the puppet's part, against the royalty of her father: Draw, you rogue, or I'll so carbonado your shanks:-draw, you rascal; come your ways. Stew. Help, ho! murder! help! Kent. Strike, you slave; stand, rogue, stand; you neat slave, strike. [Beating him. Stew. Help, ho! murder! murder! Enter Edmund, Cornwall, Regan, Gloster, and Servants. Edm. How now? what's the matter? Part. Kent. With you, goodman boy, if you please; come, I'll flesh you; come on, young master. Glo. Weapons! arms! What's the matter here? Corn. Keep peace, upon your lives; He dies that strikes again: What is the matter? Reg. The messengers from our sister and the king. Corn. What is your difference? speak. Kent. No marvel, you have so bestirred your valour. You cowardly rascal, nature disclaims in thee; a tailor made thee. Corn. Thou art a strange fellow: a tailor make a man? Kent. Ay, a tailor, sir; a stone-cutter, or a painter, could not have made him so ill, though they had been but two hours at the trade. Corn. Speak yet, how grew your quarrel? Stew. This ancient ruffian, sir, whose life I have spar'd, At suit of his grey beard, Kent. Thou whoreson zed! thou unnecessary Stew. Good dawning to thee, friend: Art of the letter!-My lord, if you will give me leave, I will house? (1) i. e. Capable of succeeding to my land. (2) Betray. (3) Wicked purpose. (4) Weight. tread this unbolted' villain into morter, and daub (5) Titles. (6) A character in the old moralities. (7) Unrefined. the wall of a jakes' with him.-Spare my grey Drew on me here. You beastly knave, know you no reverence? Corn. Why art thou angry? Kent. That such a slave as this should wear a sword, Who wears no honesty. Such smiling rogues as these, Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain, Kent. None of these rogues, and cowards, Fetch forth the stocks, ho! Sir, I am too old to learn: Call not your stocks for me: I serve the king, Which are too intrinse t'unloose: smooth every Against the grace and person of my master, 3 passion That in the natures of their lords rebels ; Say that. Kent. No contraries hold more antipathy, Than I and such a knave. Corn. Why dost thou call him knave? What's his offence? Kent. His countenance likes me not. Stocking his messenger. Corn. Fetch forth the stocks: As I've life and honour, there shall he sit till noon. Reg. Till noon! till night, my lord; and all night too. Kent. Why, madam, if I were your father's dog, Sir, being his knave, I will. Corn. No more, perchance, does mine, or his, or Should have him thus restrain'd. hers. Corn. [Kent is put in the stocks. Come, my good lord; away. [Exeunt Regan and Cornwall. Glo. I am sorry for thee, friend; 'tis the duke's pleasure, Whose disposition, all the world well knows, Kent. Pray do not, sir: I have watch'd, and Some time I shall sleep out, the rest I'll whistle. Glo. The duke's to blame in this; 'twill be ill saw !9 Kent. To go out of my dialect, which you dis-Thou out of heaven's benediction com'st commend so much. I know, sir, I am no flatterer: To the warm sun! That by thy comfortable beams I may he that beguiled you, in a plain accent, was a plain Approach, thon beacon to this under globe, It pleas'd the king his master, very late, (1) Privv. (2) Perplexed. (3) Disown. (5) In Somersetshire, where are bred great quantities of geese. Peruse this letter!-Nothing almost sees miracles, Fortune, good night; smile once more; turn thy SCENE III-A part of the heath. Edg. I heard myself proclaim'd; Enter (6) i. e. Pleases me not. (7) Simple or rustic. And, by the happy hollow of a tree, Of this remove. murder, To do upon respect such violent outrage: Kent. (1) Hair thus knotted, was supposed to be the work of elves and fairies in the night. (2) Skewers. (3) Curses. |Commanded me to follow, and attend Display'd so saucily against your highness,) Fool. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geese fly that way. Fathers, that wear rags, Do make their children blind; Ne'er turns the key to the poor. But, for all this, thou shalt have as many dolours" for thy daughters, as thou canst tell in a year. Lear. O, how this mothers swells up toward my heart! Hysterica passio! down, thou climbing sorrow, Stay here. [Exit. Gent. Made you no more offence than what you speak of? Kent. None. How chance the king comes with so small a train? Fool. We'll set thee to school to an ant, to teach thee there's no labouring in the winter. All that follow their noses are led by their eyes, but blind men; and there's not a nose among twenty, but can smell him that's stinking. Let go thy hold, when a great wheel runs down a hill, lest it break thy neck with following it; but the great one that goes up the hill, let him draw thee after. When a wise man gives thee better counsel, give me mine again: I would have none but knaves follow it, since a fool gives it. That, sir, which serves and seeks for gain, Will pack, when it begins to rain, And leave thee in the storm. But I will tarry, the fool will stay, The knave turns fool, that runs away; Re-enter Lear, with Gloster. Lear. Deny to speak with me? They are sick? they are weary? They have travell'd hard to-night? Mere fetches; Glo. My dear lord, You know the fiery quality of the duke; How unremoveable and fix'd he is In his own course. Lear. Vengeance! plague! death! confusion !— Fiery? what quality? Why, Gloster, Gloster, I'd speak with the duke of Cornwall, and his wife, (5) The old word for stockings. (6) People, train, or retinue. (7) A quibble between dolours and dollars, (8) The disease called the mother. Scene IV. Glo. Well, my good lord, I have inform'd them so. | Do you but mark how this becomes the house;" man? Glo. Ay, my good lord. Lear. The king would speak with Cornwall; the dear father Would with his daughter speak, commands her Are they inform'd of this ?-My breath and blood!- Whereto our health is bound; we are not ourselves, Glo. I'd have all well betwixt you. [Exit. down. Fool. Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney did to the eels, when she put them i'the paste alive; she rapp'd 'em o'the coxcombs with a stick, and cry'd, Down, wantons, down: 'Twas her brother, that in pure kindness to his horse, butter'd the hay. Enter Cornwall, Regan, Gloster, and Servants. Hail to your grace! reason I have to think so: if thou should'st not be glad, [To Kent. Some other time for that.-Beloved Regan, Say, how is that? Lear. My curses on her! [Kneeling. That you'll vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food. Reg. Good sir, no more: these are unsightly tricks: Return you to my sister. Lear. Never, Regan: Fie, fie, fie! Lear. You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames Into her scornful eyes! Infect her beauty, Reg. curse; 6 Thy tender-hefted nature shall not give Good sir, to the purpose. Reg. That she would soon be here.-Is your lady come? Corn. Thou didst not know of't.-Who comes here! O Ask her forgiveness? You! did you? (3) Crust of a pye. (5) The order of families. (7) Approve. (1) Removing from their own house. (4) Be wanting in. Reg. I pray you, father, being weak, seem so. If, till the expiration of your month, You will return and sojourn with my sister, Lear. Return to her, and fifty men dismiss'd? Lear. I pr'ythee, daughter, do not make me mad; I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell: We'll no more meet, no more see one another:But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter; Or, rather, a disease that's in my flesh, Which I must needs call mine: thou art a boil, A plague-sore, an embossed carbuncle, In my corrupted blood. But I'll not chide thee; Let shame come when it will, I do not call it : I do not bid the thunder-bearer shoot, Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove: Mend when thou canst; be better, at thy leisure: I can be patient; I can stay with Regan; I, and my hundred knights. Reg. Not altogether so, sir; I look'd not for you yet, nor am provided For your fit welcome: Give ear, sir, to my sister; For those that mingle reason with your passion, Must be content to think you old, and soBut she knows what she does. Lear. Is this well spoken now? You see me here, you gods, a poor old man, I have full cause of weeping; but this heart [Exeunt Lear, Gloster, Kent, and Fool. Corn. Let us withdraw, 'twill be a storm. [Storm heard at a distance. This house Reg. Is little; the old man and his people cannot So am I purpos'd. Re-enter Gloster. Reg. I dare avouch it, sir: What, fifty followers? Where is my lord of Gloster? Is it not well; What should you need of more? Yea, of so many? sith that both charge and danger Speak 'gainst so great a number? How, in one house, Should many people, under two commands, Gon. Why might not you, my lord, receive attendance From those that she calls servants, or from mine? Reg. Why not, my lord? If then they chanc'd to slack you, We could control them: If you will come to me with me. Lear. Those wicked creatures yet do look wellfavour'd, When others are more wicked; not being the worst, Stands in some rank of praise:-I'll go with thee; [To Goneril. Thy fifty yet doth double five and twenty, Gon. Corn. Follow'd the old man forth:-he is re turn'd. Glo. The king is in high rage., Whither is he going? Glo. He calls to horse; but will I know not whither. Corn. "Tis best to give him way; he leads him self. Gon. My lord, entreat him by no means to stay. Glo. Alack, the night comes on, and the bleak winds Do sorely ruflle; for many miles about Reg. And what they may incense him to, being apt Corn. Shut up your doors, my lord; 'tis a wild night; My Regan counsels well: come out o'the storm. [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE L-A heath. A storm is heard, with thunder and lightning. Enter Kent and a Gentleman, meeting. (1) War. (2) Swelling. (3) Since. (4) Instigate. Kent. Who's here, beside foul weather? |